Mozilla Chairperson Mitchell Baker

The Mozilla Foundation is about to release a new version of its popular web browser, but unlike the regular Firefox, this one won’t be for consumers. Instead, Mozilla is planning to launch “the first browser dedicated to developers.”

Web developers typically use tools from companies like Adobe Systems Inc., and Microsoft Corp., to do their basic layout work, but when it comes to testing scripts they have to use standard web browsers. Mozilla, along with Google Inc. and Microsoft, offer a variety of developer tools within their web browsers, but these are still software that’s primarily developed for consumers.

“When building for the Web, developers tend to use a myriad of different tools which often don’t work well together,” Mozilla wrote in its announcement yesterday. “This means you end up switching between different tools, platforms and browsers which can slow you down and make you less productive.”

Mozilla says its new developer-focused browser will integrate some of the most popular developer tools found in Firefox, including WebIDE and Firefox Tools Adapter. Both tools can be downloaded for the regular Firefox browser, but few people ever touch them – but in the developer version, they’ll be right there at the forefront.

In the past, both Mozilla and Google have released browsers targeted at developers – Mozilla with its Firefox Aurora and Google with its Chromium channel – but these were just earlier version of consumer releases, they weren’t built with developer tools at the forefront.

With its new browser, Mozilla is looking to scrap the consumer ethos altogether and focus solely on the tools and interfaces developers need to smooth their web developing experience.

“We’ve redesigned the browser by looking at it through a completely new filter to put developers’ interests first,” the organization explains. “It’s built by developers for developers so you can debug the whole Web, allowing you to more easily build awesome Web experiences.”

Mozilla says the new browser will be launched next Monday, November 10.